Minnesota Vikings (8-3) at Seattle Seahawks (9-2)
Sunday, December 2, 8:15PM ET
Trust me when I say this was a very difficult decision for me. As a Minnesota Vikings fan and Seattle native, I was hard not to bring biases into the mix when making this pick. However, when it all came down to it, I had to go with the Seattle Seahawks as the Week 13 winners.
I just can’t see a way in which the Vikings can slow down Russell Wilson and the Seattle offense. Their pass defense has taken a big step backwards this year, and there’s a good chance they’ll be without their best defensive back in Harrison Smith. Slowing down the Seahawks’ explosive receivers and Chris Carson just sounds like too tall a task.
But can’t Kirk Cousins just put together another impressive primetime performance to keep Minnesota in it? It’s possible. However, considering the way the Vikings like to dig themselves into holes at times, there’s no margin for error here. Wilson will put up points early and often, meaning Cousins can’t afford to fall behind.
Unfortunately for Minnesota, I see that happening. Whether due to a Cousins mistake, too many penalties or just a tough run of luck in the first half, the Vikings get behind early and fail to catch up to Wilson and Co.
Prediction: Seahawks win 34-30